Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – April 16, 2019
He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. Matthew 14:29
A few days ago, I jumped out of an airplane. For years I thought “Yeah! I’d like to try skydiving!” But, when the opportunity arose to actually do it, I wasn’t so sure. Reality and fantasy felt like two entirely different things. But I decided to forge ahead with the encouragement of my husband.
Plus, I felt I would be in good hands because a young woman named Kasey, who is an accomplished skydiver, and who will soon be my new daughter-in-law—would be my tandem instructor.
Still, I was a little nervous.
I don’t know about you, but I have heard Christians say, “I’m not going to do this—or that—because I don’t have a peace about it,” which actually means, “I’m afraid.”
When I was looking out the door of the airplane and saw two people ahead of me jump and disappear into the thin blue, I wasn’t focusing on how peaceful I felt. I was thinking “Whoaaaaa!”
But then I jumped anyway—even though I felt fear.
Here’s a big truth: Some things in life are just frightening even though they are the right thing to do. Sometimes they might even be downright scary.
It can be frightening to pull up roots and move to a new city alone.
It can be frightening to have that tough conversation with your teenager—or your husband, your wife, or your boss.
It can be frightening to stand at the altar and say “I do.”
It can be frightening to take a new job or start a new company when you know it means you could fail.
And, it can certainly be frightening to jump out of an airplane for the first time at 12,500 feet.
Sometimes people have the wrong idea that being in God’s will means you won’t feel fear and that you should always experience perfect peace if you’re called to do a particular something.
We may also wrongly believe that being courageous means you won’t feel fear.
Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage means you move forward in the face of fear. Courage sometimes means you have to “do it scared.” You can’t always rely on your emotions to make your decisions for you. They may betray you because they aren’t a consistent gauge of truth.
Think about Jesus. When He was in the Garden of Gethsemane, He knew He was doing His Father’s will, going to the cross and giving up His life. But, He was still filled with anguish, so much so that he sweat drops of blood. He didn’t feel peaceful. And, if He had solely relied on His emotions to be His guide, He would have run.
When Nehemiah went to King Artaxerxes to ask for permission to be released from his duties as cupbearer so he could rebuild the wall in Jerusalem, he wasn’t thinking, “I feel so confident and peaceful.” Instead, he confessed, “I was very much afraid” (Nehemiah 2:2). But he asked the king anyway. If he had solely used his fickle emotions as his guide, he would have run.
Remember, if you feel inadequate, like you can’t, or as if you’re afraid and don’t have a peaceful feeling, it doesn’t mean you’re out of God’s will. And, it doesn’t mean you aren’t courageous. It just means that you might have to do it scared.
Prayer
Lord, please help me to do what’s right even though it might be frightening and difficult. Amen.
Application
Is God calling you to do something that is out of your comfort zone? Do you need to move ahead and do it scared?
Related Reading
Joshua 1:9; 2 Timothy 1:7; Matthew 6:34
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Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage means you move forward in the face of fear. #WisdomHunters #courageinthefaceoffear
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